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GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS 030717

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Jul 17, 2003, 12:18:16 AM7/17/03

030717

GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{*} LOWER TWP WANTS ZONE TO PROTECT FISHING INDUSTRY
{*} DEP SAYS IT OVERREACTED ON BEACH TRASH
{*} MORE WHITE TOWNSHIP WELLS HAVE TCE TAINT
{*} BAYONNE'S WATER PASSES TEST FOR LEAD CONTENT
{*} GEMS LANDFILL RADIOACTIVE DISCHARGE APPROVED
{*} FEDS TO DO FURTHER TESTING AT SITE OF FORMER ARSENAL
{*} EPA PROPOSES DRINKING WATER RULES TO REDUCE ILLNESS
{*} BUSH ADMINISTRATION SAYS NO TO SAFER DRINKING WATER
{*} NJ TOXIC WASTE SITE CHOSEN FOR SUPERFUND CLEANUP
{*} BUSH ADMINISTRATION BRAGS ABOUT EPA ENFORCEMENT
{*} AFFORDABLE HOUSING NOT FOLLOWING JOBS, REPORT FINDS
{*} JERSEY LOSES A ROUND IN BATTLE AGAINST SPRAWL
{*} NJ POPULATION GROWTH MORE THAN NUMBERS TO RURAL TOWNS
{*} DEVELOPER, FOES DIFFER ON MEANING OF RINGWOOD CODE
{*} HUNTERDON GAINS RIGHTS TO 182 ACRES OF FARMLAND
{*} NJPIRG ASKS YOU TO PROTECT OUR NATIONAL FORESTS
{*} HACKENSACK RIVER CLEAN-UP - JUL 19
{*} WATER WATCH EVENT - CAMDEN - AUG 2
{*} ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION RALLY - AUG 4
{*} SEMINAR ON NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS - JUL 31

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The Garden State EnviroNet (GSE) gratefully acknowledges volunteers
Gerald Cullins, Bambi Dingman, Jeff Hook and Paul Neuman for their
contributions to today's issue. Thanks also to Peter Montague for his
many contibutions to the EnviroNews, and his invaluable help as a
member of our Board of Trustees. If interested in helping out, please
send an email message to mai...@gsenet.org.

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LOWER TWP WANTS ZONE TO PROTECT FISHING INDUSTRY

Date: 030716
From: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/cape/

By Richard Degener, Staff Writer, (609) 463-6711
Press of Atlantic City, July 16, 2003

Lower Township - The council is introducing an ordinance next week to
prevent residential development at marinas and commercial fishing
docks along Ocean Drive.

The ordinance was first introduced in December but then was tabled
for more review. It is on the agenda again for Monday night's council
meeting.

With condominium development already established on one end of Ocean
Drive, council is concerned it could move down the road and put the
township's major industry and supplier of year-round jobs out of
business. The Port of Cape May, which in spite of its name is actually
in Lower Township and Wildwood, is one of the largest commercial
fishing ports on the East Coast. The township is also concerned about
having to supply services if Ocean Drive becomes a residential area.

"This is important because it's our jobs and I think our
infrastructure, both water lines and sewer lines are overburdened. Our
schools are overcrowded already," Deputy Mayor Diane Chesna said.

Another concern is that residential development placed in commercial
fishing areas, such as Atlantic City and the Otten's Harbor section of
Wildwood, leads to complaints about diesel exhaust, the smell of fish
and noise early in the morning as boats unload or prepare to go out.

"The goal is to preserve the fishing industry. I've read about
Atlantic City. If you start developing the area, pretty soon the
fishing industry will be bombarded with complaints," Chesna said.

Jeff Reichle, the owner of Lund's Fisheries, which employs about 150
people, agrees. People are "moving towards the water" in coastal areas
all over the country, Reichle said, and this is pushing the fishing
industry out of business.

"You can't stay in the business if you don't have access to the
water. We can't coexist next to residential development. That's been
proven up and down the coast. We're a big industrial dock. We're
handling hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish. Trucks are coming
and going. We're loading and unloading," Reichle said.

The latest proposal marks out a section of Ocean Drive that starts at
Madison Avenue in the Diamond Beach section and runs southwest almost
to the Garden State Parkway. It does not include docks on
Schellenger's Landing and the Canyon Club, an Ocean Drive marina that
has already gone condominium. It does cover the major commercial docks
including Lund's Fisheries, Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Snow's, and the
Axelsson & Johnson dock currently in bankruptcy proceedings.

It also includes a number of marinas that cater mostly to the
sportfishing industry, including Two Mile Landing Marina, Snug Harbor
Marina, McDuell Marine, Hinch Marina, Harborview Marina, Bree-Zee Lee
Yacht Basin, and another small waterfront site that had been owned by
Burt Mears.

These businesses are now in the Marine Development or MD Zone. The
ordinance would create a new zone called the MD-2 Zone, and it would
prohibit most residential development.

"It will allow restaurants, and we might permit one apartment for a
watchman at each marina," Chesna said.

It is questionable how much development could be done on Ocean Drive
anyway, since it is surrounded by saltwater wetlands protected by a
state law that dates back more than three decades. Still, developments
have gone up all along the New Jersey shore in recent years in similar
areas.

Whether or not such lands can be developed, Chesna said they should
be preserved because they are environmentally sensitive.

"I looked at the state map and it's all green, which is highly
sensitive. It's a green zone, and I don't think we need development,
plus it's our winter employers," Chesna said.

Reichle said the commercial docks employ at least 500 people, while
the marinas that cater to recreational fishing hire many more. More
importantly, he said, fishing is part of the region's history. Whalers
settled here as early as the 1640s.

"The fishing industry goes back to the whalers in Town Bank. It's
part of Cape May County and will not remain part of it if we have
residential development here. If the waterfront is not tied up with
residential development, then you maintain jobs and the flavor of the
community," Reichle said.

The latest proposal follows a stance council took earlier this month
when it supported a new Middle Thorofare Bridge on Ocean Drive to help
the fishing industry bring in larger vessels. While there are a number
of alternative proposals, council passed a resolution supporting the
one the fishing industry wanted.

"This resolution would be a moot point without the preservation of
our fishing industry," Chesna said.

* * *

To email Richard Degener at The Press: RDeg...@pressofac.com

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DEP SAYS IT OVERREACTED ON BEACH TRASH

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "Peter Montague" {Pe...@rachel.org}

By Jim McElhatton, Staff Writer, (609) 978-2015
Press of Atlantic City, July 16, 2003

Hours after beaches were closed after what appeared to be medical
waste washed up on northern Ocean County beaches Friday, New Jersey's
top environmental officer issued a press statement that officials had
found a "significant volume of medical and solid waste."

On Tuesday, state Department of Environmental Protection officials
acknowledged that those initial reports turned out to be an
overreaction.

Ninety-nine percent of what appeared to be a garbage slick was
actually seaweed, according to DEP officials. Trash wasn't dumped
illegally as the DEP announced Friday, but actually washed out of
storm sewer drains because of last week's heavy rains.

What officials first thought was a blood vial turned out to be a
florescent tube used to illuminate a life vest. And a syringe was, on
closer inspection, actually a plastic fireworks tube.

Three syringes were found after sweeps of beaches in Dover Township
and Lavallette, the DEP said Tuesday. But the syringes came from home
diabetic kits, not hospital waste as officials first thought.

"In this case, overreaction was a good thing," said Elaine Makatura,
state Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman.

"We don't want New Jersey's pristine beaches to go through what they
did in the early 1980s."

But some area officials said state environmental officials should
have waited before declaring a "significant volume" of medical waste
on their beaches.

By the time state and local investigators knew otherwise on Saturday,
the incident had become a major news story, said Lavallette Mayor
Thomas J. Walls.

"They found a baggie of medical waste in all that seaweed, and we had
all of the major networks here reporting that something much bigger
and worse happened," said Walls.

The incident drew widespread attention, in large part, because
medical waste was found routinely on New Jersey beaches during the
1980s. Beaches were closed after the slick appeared Friday afternoon.
They were reopened Saturday morning.

"Here we spend all of this money on tourism, and this one incident
based on a baggie negates a whole year."

"I don't want to minimize anything," Walls said. "But if you're
saying there is a significant volume of medical waste, you better be
sure about it. That's putting a lot of negative attention on the
Jersey Shore."

* * *

To email Jim McElhatton at The Press: JMcEl...@pressofac.com

# # #

Rachel's Environment & Health News
Environmental Research Foundation
POB 160
New Brunswick NJ 08903-0160
Tel: 732-828-9995
Fax: 732-791-4603
Email: e...@rachel.org
Web: http://www.rachel.org

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MORE WHITE TOWNSHIP WELLS HAVE TCE TAINT

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "Peter Montague" {Pe...@rachel.org}

NINE NEW WELLS TEST POSITIVE FOR TCE;
ONE EXCEEDS THRESHOLD FOR DEP HELP

By Katherine Blok, Express-Times, July 16, 2003

White Twp. - About a month after a public meeting on well
contamination, nine additional residential wells have tested positive
for volatile organic chemicals.

But only one of those wells is at or above the state limit, which
brings the total number of contaminated wells to nine, said Mike King,
Warren County Health Department senior sanitarian.

About 59 wells have been tested since contamination was first
discovered in May, King said. The state Department of Environmental
Protection confirmed traces of trichloroethylene, more commonly known
as TCE, in nine wells in the Rockwell and Beechwood roads area of
White Township.

The contamination was discovered after a property transfer occurred
and a well was tested under the Private Well Testing Act. The state
law requires testing before a property transfer can be finalized.

TCE now has been detected in a total of 18 township wells, King said.
But, of those, only 10 so far - which are over the state minimum of
one part per billion - qualify for help from the DEP. A second test
must be done in order for homeowners to get reimbursed from the
state's Spill Fund. The fund pays for the second test and filtering
equipment.

But King said any homeowners falling below the state threshold who
are still concerned about their water can purchase filtration systems
from home improvement stores.

"It's a difficult situation to be in," King said of those below the
state contaminant level. "They are in limbo."

Even wells with 0.99 parts per billion will not qualify for the Spill
Fund, but those homeowners are advised to test their water again,
either through a private laboratory or by registering with the DEP for
testing, King said.

But he cautioned that New Jersey's standards are strict - the federal
level is 5 parts per billion. An individual would have to drink two
liters of contaminated water a day for 70 years in order to increase
his or her chance of getting cancer by one in one million, according
to the DEP.

Though the DEP was in the township last week to test about 20 wells,
King said the recent contamination has been discovered because
concerned residents arranged for a private laboratory to test their
water. The township made arrangements with QC Laboratories in
Ridgefield Park, NJ, for a reduced rate on well testing.

DEP spokeswoman Elaine Makatura confirmed that wells at 20 township
homes were tested on July 10. Results are expected in about 30 days,
she said.

Mayor James Ashe said he does not know which area of the township was
tested last week, but he said the contamination is not spread
throughout the municipality. Concerns, which were high after news of
the original contaminated wells became known in late May, have
subsided, he said.

"I think people have found out this is not a widespread problem. It's
very localized," Ashe said. Pretty much all people concerned have been
in touch with the DEP.

* * *

Reporter Katherine Blok can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by
email at kb...@express-times.com.
Copyright 2003 The Express-Times.

# # #

Rachel's Environment & Health News
Environmental Research Foundation
POB 160
New Brunswick NJ 08903-0160
Tel: 732-828-9995
Fax: 732-791-4603
Email: e...@rachel.org
Web: http://www.rachel.org

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BAYONNE'S WATER PASSES TEST FOR LEAD CONTENT

Date: 030710
From: http://www.nj.com/

By Ronald Leir, Jersey Journal Staff Writer, July 10, 2003

For the first time in a year, Bayonne drinking water tested at the
state standard for lead content, Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority
Executive Director Stephen Gallo said.

Gallo said laboratory analysis of water samples taken from 55 of 60
locations around the city between April 17 and June 11 met the
tolerance level for lead of .015 milligrams per liter or less, set by
the state Department of Environmental Protection.

If at least 90 percent of the samples taken are in compliance with
the state standard, the city is considered to have passed, Gallo said,
and Bayonne - at 912/3 percent - just made it.

This latest round was the third since Bayonne's water supplier, the
North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, of Wanaque, which
furnishes water to more than 90 communities, began the testing program
last year after it started to introduce a chemical agent known as
orthophosphate into its water distribution system at various feeder
stations.

In the first round of testing, conducted during the first half of
2002, nine Bayonne sites were found to be out of compliance; 15 failed
in the second, taken during the second half of 2002, Gallo said.

"We'll do another round in the fall of this year, but I believe we're
close to solving this issue - particularly since further upstream
North Jersey has met with success," Gallo said last week.

"It takes time for the agent - which coats the inside of mains and
pipes to reduce the amount of lead that may be leaching into the water
from older plumbing fixtures - to build up and stop the corrosive
effects of the lead."

The lead levels from the five sites out of compliance in Bayonne
ranged from a low of .023 milligrams per liter, taken from a reservoir
pump station at the former Military Ocean Terminal, to a high of .773,
from an East 24th Street residence, Gallo said.

The other three unacceptable readings were also from private
residences: .035 from West Eighth Street, .23 from West 45th Street
and .34 from West 44th Street, Gallo said.

All the homes selected for sampling were considered "likely
candidates" for suspect lead levels because they are equipped with
plumbing dating to before the stricter standards were adopted in the
1980s, Gallo said.

At locations with less than acceptable lead readings, Gallo said
homeowners are advised to let their water run until it gets cold
before drinking it, to consider installing home filtration kits,
arrange for periodic independent testing to monitor lead content, or
replace their plumbing.

* * *

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GEMS LANDFILL RADIOACTIVE DISCHARGE APPROVED

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "Peter Montague" {Pe...@rachel.org}

GEMS LANDFILL GETS PERMIT TO DISCHARGE TAINTED WATER

Philadelphia Inquirer, July 16, 2003

Camden - The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority will allow
the GEMS Landfill Trust to discharge water tainted with low levels of
radioactivity through county sewer lines, officials announced
yesterday.

The permit, issued in compliance with an order from U.S. District
Judge Jerome B. Simandle, would allow completion of the cleanup at the
Gloucester Township Superfund site by sending 200,000 gallons of water
a day for as many as 30 years to the county treatment plant in Camden.
Simandle ruled in May that county sewer lines could be used because
the water has been decontaminated on site to meet drinking-water
standards.

The utilities authority draft permit will be open to public comment
until Sept. 17, and a public hearing is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sept. 10
at the administration building. Depending on the outcome of public
comment, the GEMS discharge would begin in October, the authority's
deputy executive director, Andrew Kricun, said yesterday.

# # #

Rachel's Environment & Health News
Environmental Research Foundation
POB 160
New Brunswick NJ 08903-0160
Tel: 732-828-9995
Fax: 732-791-4603
Email: e...@rachel.org
Web: http://www.rachel.org

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FEDS TO DO FURTHER TESTING AT SITE OF FORMER ARSENAL

Date: 030716
From: http://www.nj.com/newsflash/jersey/

Associated Press, 7/16/03

Edison - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will do additional testing
for chemical contamination at two buildings on the site of the former
Raritan Arsenal.

Peter Shugert, a spokesman for the corps, said Wednesday that
additional tests for volatile organic compounds will be done at the
buildings, which house a variety of Raritan Center businesses,
including a day care center.

Tests of contaminated groundwater, which has spread to the area
beneath the buildings, showed "a potential pathway" for vapors from
the chemical compounds to pose a hazard to occupants of the buildings.

But there is not yet enough scientific evidence to warrant evacuating
them, Shugert said.

Testing should begin within 30 days, and will include soil, air and
groundwater sampling in and around the buildings.

The buildings are just east of a monitoring well on the old arsenal
property, which is undergoing a long-term cleanup by the corps.

The well has consistently shown the highest readings for volatile
organic compounds, which are known or suspected carcinogens. They can
linger in groundwater for years, but quickly evaporate into air.

* * *

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EPA PROPOSES DRINKING WATER RULES TO REDUCE ILLNESS

Date: 030711
From: http://yosemite1.epa.gov/

EPA PROPOSES DRINKING WATER RULES TO REDUCE ILLNESS, CANCER RISKS

ESTIMATED BENEFITS TOP $2 BILLION ANNUALLY

07/11/2003

To further reduce the risk of illness from microbes and decrease
cancer risks from chemicals that form during drinking water treatment,
EPA is proposing rules that would require drinking water systems to
monitor for and increase protection against Cryptosporidium while
expanding the monitoring and control of disinfection byproducts.
Building upon rules now in effect, the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface
Water Treatment Rule (LT2) and the Stage 2 Disinfection Byproduct Rule
are required by the Safe Drinking Water Act and were developed in
partnership with a wide range of interests including water systems,
environmental groups, and state and local health officials.

"These drinking water rules are important steps in protecting
Americans' health." said EPA Acting Administrator Linda Fisher. "These
rules take the right approach toward minimizing and balancing the
risks from microbial contamination and disinfection byproducts. They
represent the culmination of more than a decade of analysis, research,
and partnership focused on making the nation's drinking water safer."

Cryptosporidium is a widespread waterborne pathogen that is resistant
to common disinfectants like chlorine. Ingestion of Cryptosporidium
causes gastrointestinal illness - cryptosporidiosis. Health effects in
sensitive populations, such as children, the elderly, and the immuno-
compromised, can be severe, including risk of death. New data on
Cryptosporidium indicate that most public water systems currently
provide sufficient treatment. Some systems, however, may require
greater protection because they are more vulnerable to
Cryptosporidium. The proposed LT2 rule targets additional treatment
requirements to these higher-risk drinking water systems.
Specifically, the rule requires additional treatment by filtered
systems with higher levels of Cryptosporidium in their water sources
as well as by systems that do not filter surface water.

EPA estimates that full implementation of the LT2 rule will reduce
cases of cryptosporidiosis by as many as 1,020,000 per year, with an
associated reduction of up to 140 premature deaths. The economic
benefit ranges up to $1.4 billion annually. The additional treatment
required under the LT2 rule may also reduce exposure to other
pathogens.

Annual costs of the LT2 rule are estimated to range from
approximately $73.5 to $111 million. The average annual household cost
is estimated to be $1.07 to $1.68 per year, with more than 98 percent
of households experiencing annual costs of less than $12 per year.
EPA's Web has additional information on the proposed LT2 rule at
http:// http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lt2/index.html.

The Stage 2 Disinfection Byproducts Rule further protects public
health from byproducts formed during chemical disinfection widely used
by public water systems as a principal barrier to microbial pathogens
in drinking water. This rule contains a risk-targeting approach to
better identify monitoring sites where customers are exposed to high
levels of disinfection byproducts, which have been linked both to
bladder, rectal, and colon cancer and to a potential risk of
reproductive and developmental health concerns.

"The Stage 2 Disinfection Byproducts Rule stresses the importance of
addressing potential risks of miscarriage and fetal loss. Although the
science is still uncertain, EPA must act on the weight of existing
research to protect human life, and our efforts will be focused in
this area in the coming years," EPA Assistant Administrator for Water
G. Tracy Mehan III said.

EPA estimates the Stage 2 Rule will reduce the incidence of bladder
cancer cases by up to 182 cases per year, with an associated reduction
of up to 47 premature deaths. The economic benefits from these avoided
illnesses and deaths is estimated to be up to $986 million annually.
EPA also expects the Stage 2 Rule to reduce fetal losses and other
reproductive and developmental health effects. The annual cost of the
Stage 2 Rule is expected to be $54.3 to $63.9 million. The average
annual household cost is estimated to be 51 cents per year, and more
than 99 percent of households will experience annual costs of less
than $12 per year. More information on the proposed Stage 2 Rule is
available on EPA's Web site at
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/stage2/index.html.

In other actions, EPA has concluded a Six-Year Review of 69 Drinking
Water Regulations and has finalized regulatory determinations for nine
contaminants on the Contaminant Candidate List. For both of these
decisions, EPA's review included the best available data on health
effects, analytical methods, treatment technologies, and occurrence.
For the Six-Year Review, EPA has concluded that the monitoring
requirements for Total Coliform (an indicator of bacterial
contamination of drinking water) should be revised. EPA also finalized
determinations on nine contaminants and found that at this time it is
not appropriate to develop regulations for Acanthamoeba, Aldrin,
Dieldrin, Hexachlorobutadiene, Manganese, Metribuzin, Naphthalene,
Sodium, and Sulfate. Information on the Six-Year Review is available
at EPA's Web site http://www.epa.gov/safewater/review.html, and the
information on the Contaminant Candidate List Regulatory
Determinations is available on EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/
safewater/ccl/cclregdetermine.html.

* * *

Contact: John Millett, 202-564-7842

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC

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BUSH ADMINISTRATION SAYS NO TO SAFER DRINKING WATER

Date: 030715
From: http://www.ewg.org/

STEALTH DECISION BY EPA SOUNDS MAJOR RETREAT ON ROCKET FUEL,
CHLORINE BYPRODUCTS, MANY OTHER TOXINS

By Lauren Sucher, 202-667-6982, Bill Walker, 510-444-0973
Environmental Working Group, July 15, 2003

Washington - The Bush Administration's decision not to pursue tougher
regulations on rocket fuel and many other toxins in drinking water
that can trigger miscarriages, birth defects and other serious health
problems is an outrageous betrayal of public health to benefit defense
contractors, chemical companies, the agriculture industry and other
big-money special interests, the Environmental Working Group (EWG)
said today.

Late Friday, the EPA posted on its website a decision that all
current drinking water standards are adequate and that it will not
move to regulate any additional water contaminants until 2010 or
later.

- This decision shows the Bush Administration's shocking disregard
for what Americans say is the single most important environmental
issue - clean, safe drinking water," EWG Vice President Bill Walker
said today.

- The EPA's own research has clearly found that the levels of toxic
rocket fuel, chlorination byproducts and many other contaminants in
the drinking water of millions of Americans are too high. These
contaminants have been shown to disrupt fetal and infant
development, increase the rate of spontaneous miscarriages and
cause birth defects," Walker said. "Apparently that doesn't matter
to the White House, which is more interested in letting big
polluters off the hook for contaminating our drinking water."

Studies by EWG and other scientists on the contaminants affected by
EPA's decision include:

ROCKET FUEL IN DRINKING WATER

Rocket fuel waste from military bases and defense contractors
contaminates hundreds of water supplies in at least 43 states.
Although the EPA's own studies show that even minute doses of rocket
fuel can harm health, there are no federal standards for this toxic
legacy of the Cold War even though there are 63 sites that need
testing (see http://www.ewg.org/reports/rocketwater).

Since 1995, 50 towns have had tap water with high spikes of harmful
chemicals linked to miscarriage and birth defects, with peaks reaching
between five and 11 times the allowable limit, according to an EWG
analysis of state water quality data. On July 11, EPA gutted proposed
regulations that would have protected women from exposures to high
spikes of these harmful chemical byproducts of chlorination.

A recent study by the United States Geological Survey found
detergent, steroids, plasticizers, drugs, and other chemicals from
human waste in over 80 percent of 139 water bodies tested.
Antibiotics, fire retardants, and insect repellants were found in more
than half of all water samples. More than two-thirds of the chemicals
are unregulated in drinking water.

* * *

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

NJ TOXIC WASTE SITE CHOSEN FOR SUPERFUND CLEANUP

Date: 030716
From: http://1010wins.com/

1010 WINS, Jul 16, 2003

Washington - The Environmental Protection Agency is starting big-
money, long-term cleanups at 10 Superfund toxic waste sites and
putting 10 other sites aside for later, giving new weight to economic
development potential in choosing sites.

The agency said Wednesday that all preliminary work had been done to
begin cleanups at the other sites but that there wasn't enough money
to get to them now. Environmentalists said that decision was evidence
that the Bush administration was not putting enough emphasis on the
cleanups.

EPA released to The Associated Press lists of the 10 sites sharing in
the $49 million in startup money for new cleanups as well as the sites
that were passed over.

The Derewal Chemical Co. site in Hunterdon County, NJ, was among the
sites chosen for cleanup.

Among the other sites chosen for cleanups were a Denver smelting area
along Interstate 70 and a former wood treating facility in Conroe,
Texas, where redevelopment has begun for commercial and residential
uses.

Marianne L. Horinko, EPA's acting administrator, told the AP the
primary deciding factor was still the relative health risks posed by
each site. Money for the cleanups comes from both Congress and what
the agency can collect from polluters.

"There's not enough money to start everything we want this year,"
said Horinko, who before taking over as temporary head of EPA this
week oversaw the agency's Superfund program. "You need to prioritize
based on risks to human health and the environment."

But she said EPA officials also looked at other factors, including
development potential, prospects for reimbursing the government and
the impact of environmental injustices.

"I've made revitalization one of my key themes in my tenure here,"
Horinko said. "Most of these sites, we get an added benefit when we
clean them up - not only can we protect the community, but we also
raise property values and bring jobs back to the community. These
sites, which had been eyesores in many cases, become assets."

She pointed to the Bunker Hill site in northern Idaho's Coeur d'Alene
River basin where communities were built on mine wastes, saying it
represents the opportunity to reconstruct "a world-class recreation
area."

Julie Wolk, an environmental health advocate for U.S. Public Interest
Research Group, said the number of new cleanups beginning this year
"is pathetically low."

"The Bush administration's vast underfunding of the Superfund program
unacceptably puts more and more Americans at risk of toxic exposures
in their own communities," she said.

* * *

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BUSH ADMINISTRATION BRAGS ABOUT EPA ENFORCEMENT

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: David Willett {David....@Sierraclub.org}

BUSH ADMINISTRATION BRAGS ABOUT EPA ENFORCEMENT
WHILE CUTTING ENFORCEMENT STAFF

July 16, 2003

Washington, DC - While today the EPA holds a press briefing touting
the accomplishments of its enforcement program, yesterday a Bush
Administration proposal to cut the Environmental Protection Agency's
enforcement budget moved forward in the House.

"How can the Bush Administration take credit for an enforcement
program they want weakened?" asked Nat Mund of Sierra Club's
Environmental Quality Program. "They're taking the environmental cop
off the beat. The Bush Administration doesn't deserve credit for
enforcing environmental laws they want to weaken with a program they
want to cut. While using one side of their mouth to claim they're
cracking down on polluters, the Bush Administration is using the other
side to let polluters off the hook, threatening our families' clean
air and safe drinking water."

According to an EPA news advisory, today EPA Office of Enforcement
and Compliance Assurance Assistant Administrator J.P. Suarez "will
discuss accomplishments and plans for continuous improvement in the
agency's criminal enforcement program." At the same time, EPA's civil
and criminal enforcement programs are in serious danger of staffing
cuts in the VA/HUD Appropriations bill, which includes EPA's budget.
The bill was marked up yesterday in the House Subcommittee on VA, HUD,
and Independent Agencies.

The Bush Administration's proposed budget would cut 54 enforcement
positions from the EPA's budget compared to last year's spending, down
126 positions from 2001 spending. Although states have a principal
role in enforcing some federal environmental laws, federal enforcement
capability is essential to protecting communities from pollution. The
federal government is often better suited than states to take
enforcement actions against large corporations conducting business in
many states. The threat of federal enforcement is a vital safety net
for communities.

"Americans want tough enforcement of the laws protecting our air and
water, but the Bush Administration is letting polluters get away red-
handed," Mund said. "Strong enforcement of environmental laws is the
reason our air and water are cleaner than they were 30 years ago. That
kind of progress won't continue under the Bush Administration's plan
to cut enforcement funding.

* * *

David Willett
Associate Press Secretary
Sierra Club
(202) 675-6698
david....@sierraclub.org

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

AFFORDABLE HOUSING NOT FOLLOWING JOBS, REPORT FINDS

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "Marianne Jann" {njfu...@njfuture.org}

Trenton - Communities experiencing the largest job growth in New
Jersey offer only a minimal share of the state's affordable housing,
according to a research report just released by New Jersey Future.

Conversely, communities with the largest amount of affordable housing
tend to be losing jobs, the report finds.

"There's a growing mismatch between where jobs are being created, and
where affordable housing is available," said Tim Evans, research
director for New Jersey Future and author of the report, "'Realistic
Opportunity?' The Distribution of Affordable Housing and Jobs in New
Jersey."

"Without a new housing policy, we will perpetuate the concentration
of poverty and aggravate the unemployment that keep many communities,
and our state as a whole, from real economic prosperity," Evans said.

Among the report's findings:

- The top job-gaining municipalities in New Jersey through the 1990s
offer one quarter (24.8 percent) of the state's employment
opportunities, but only 15.7 percent of the state's affordable
housing. However, excluding Jersey City from this list as a rare
large employment center with plenty of affordable housing, the
remaining job gaining communities actually account for 22.3 percent
of the state's employment, but only 8.4 percent of the state's
affordable housing.

- Of the 38 municipalities offering at least 20,000 jobs in 1999,
only 12 communities offer affordable housing at least proportional
to their share of statewide employment.

- Among the 101 communities offering more than 10,000 jobs, only 22
have a proportional share of affordable housing; and these 22
places lost more than 25,000 private-sector jobs in the 1990s,
compared to a statewide job gain of about 175,000.

The report also finds that more than 50 percent of the state's
affordable housing is concentrated in only 12 communities: Newark,
Jersey City, Camden, Trenton, Atlantic City, Paterson, Hoboken, East
Orange, Elizabeth, West New York, Orange and North Bergen. Nearly half
of all municipalities (256 of 566) list no affordable units at all.

"Households in need of affordable housing are effectively restricted
in their residential choices to a small handful of municipalities,
while new job opportunities are being created elsewhere," Evans said.

Today's affordable housing system only perpetuates these problems, he
said, by its lack of any legal requirement for affordable units to be
produced in conjunction with the construction of market-rate housing
or of commercial (i.e., employment-generating) projects. The situation
is worsened by the ability of any municipality to pay another
municipality to build up to half of its "fair share obligation" of
affordable housing. Such Regional Contribution Agreements (RCAs) allow
job-growth municipalities to pay other towns to build affordable
housing distant from the new jobs; nearly half of the state's top job-
gaining communities (gaining at least 2,000 jobs) were RCA "senders,"
the report notes.

To ensure that places with large or growing numbers of jobs also
offer adequate amounts of housing affordable to all workers, New
Jersey needs to overhaul its housing policy. Specifically, the report
recommends New Jersey adopt a "growth share" approach that links the
creation of affordable housing to commercial and market-rate
residential development, and that the state abolish RCAs, which serve
only to further institutionalize the concentration of poverty.

Copies of the full report are available by calling New Jersey Future
at 609/393-0008, ext. 101. New Jersey Future is a nonprofit research
and policy group and the state's oldest and largest smart growth
organization.

* * *

Marianne Jann
New Jersey Future
137 West Hanover Street
Trenton, NJ 08618
609/393-0008, ext 101
Working for Smarter Growth...More Livable Places and Open Spaces
http://www.njfuture.org

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

JERSEY LOSES A ROUND IN BATTLE AGAINST SPRAWL

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "Steven Sacks-Wilner" {ste...@sacks-wilner.com}

By Steve Chambers, Star-Ledger Staff, July 16, 2003

The state has been dealt a serious setback in its efforts to come to
the legal aid of towns being sued by builders.

A judge in Hunterdon County ruled Friday that the state has no
business entering a case in which Lebanon Township was sued by both a
builder and a property owners' group after it passed a restrictive
zoning law.

During his State of the State speech in January, Gov. James E.
McGreevey announced the state would enter the case. He blamed builders
for blighting the state's landscape and vowed to help towns bullied by
high-priced lawyers.

Last month, the attorney general asked permission to enter as amicus
curiae, or friend of the court, disappointing some anti-sprawl
activists who had hoped for more aggressive participation.

The township is being sued by Toll Brothers, one of the state's
largest residential builders, and some of its own residents, who are
angry that a recent downzoning reduced the value of their land.

In its brief, the state argued there was a public interest in
protecting township land because its streams feed important water
supplies and the state Development and Redevelopment Plan recommends
low growth for the area.

A lawyer for the residents argued that the case focused on a local
zoning issue that didn't concern the state. He also argued the state
was not providing neutral assistance to the court.

"The state wasn't seeking to come in as a friend of the court but as
a friend of the township," said Christopher Torkelson, a Trenton
lawyer who represents the citizens group.

Superior Court Judge Edmund R. Bernhard, sitting in Flemington,
agreed. He also said the township was perfectly capable of defending
itself.

Builders had argued when the state filed its case that towns, not
developers, have the deep pockets when it comes to legal battles. The
judge noted that the town's lawyer, Howard Cohen, is an accomplished
land-use lawyer.

Chuck Davis, a spokesman for the attorney general, said the office is
considering an appeal.

* * *

Steve Chambers covers land-use issues. He can be reached at
scha...@starledger.com or (973) 392- 1674.
Copyright 2003 The Star-Ledger.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

NJ POPULATION GROWTH MORE THAN NUMBERS TO RURAL TOWNS

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "carol" {ca...@njconservation.org}

THE STATE WE'RE IN
By Michele S. Byers, Executive Director
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
July 16, 2003 - Volume XXXIII, No. 27

It's no secret that New Jersey is getting more and more crowded. No
matter where you live, work, drive, or shop you are probably rubbing
elbows with more New Jerseyans every day than ever before.

The latest census data shows that most of the new growth continues to
go to New Jersey's rural communities, and growth in our largest cities
slows.

Take, for example, rural Woolwich Township in south Jersey's
Gloucester County, now our state's fastest growing community. The 2000
Census revealed that the township's population, which had hovered
around 1,500 for decades, doubled to about 3000. And new census
population estimates reveal another 50-percent increase occurred - to
4,549 - from 2000 to 2002.

The population estimates are based on 2000 Census counts, recorded
births, deaths and new housing permits, and tax return addresses used
to track population movement.

Overall, New Jersey's population grew about 2-percent between 2000
and 2002, bringing us to a total of 8,590,300 people! That's more
people per square mile than India or Japan! And the suburbs of New
York and Philadelphia now form a solid sprawl-belt across the middle
of the state.

Unfortunately, Woolrich's growth spurt isn't unique. Seventeen
percent of the state's growth through 2000 was in rural communities;
but the new estimates show that rate has accelerated to account for
almost twenty-five percent of the growth in the past two years!

And New Jersey's thirty largest cities - home to 21-percent of the
state's population - accounted for only 12 percent of the population
growth in the 1990's, and only 9-percent in the past two years.

This is an alarming trend, because the numbers translate into real
changes in the quality of life for all New Jerseyans. We've all felt
the leading edge of that change in things like clogged roads,
escalating property taxes, insurance rates, and lost farmland,
woodlands and open spaces.

Woolrich's rural character survived for decades, even after the
opening of a New Jersey Turnpike exit and Interstate Route 295 nearby.
But in the mid-1990s, the township approved 4,500 new homes on 1,600
acres of farmland. That one project will fuel continued growth over
the next several years.

A voter backlash against the new growth crept into last year's
elections, and township officials amended Woolwich's master plan to
cut the amount of future planned growth by more than half.

In the state's second fastest growing town - Mansfield Township in
Burlington County - the population was up 36 percent, to 6,936,
according to the Census estimates. However, school enrollment has
doubled in just three years, requiring a new school to relieve
overcrowding. New schools in New Jersey can cost as much as $70
million!

These new population estimates are more evidence that we cannot
sustain our current growth without strong guidelines for where and how
to grow. Fortunately, we have a blueprint for better communities of
all kinds - rural, suburban and urban - in the form of the State Plan,
and Governor McGreevey has repeatedly stated his staunch commitment to
smart growth.

We need the will to implement the State Plan before New Jersey loses
its rural communities and its cities!

- - -

If you have questions about how you can help conserve New Jersey's
precious land and natural resources, I hope you'll contact me at
1-888-LAND-SAVE or in...@njconservation.org, or visit NJCF's website at
http://www.njconservation.org, for more information.

* * *

Carol K. Banhart
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Bamboo Brook
170 Longview Road
Far Hills, NJ 07931
Phone: 908-234-1225 x105
Fax: 908-234-1189

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

DEVELOPER, FOES DIFFER ON MEANING OF RINGWOOD CODE

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "Robin O'Hearn" {roh...@earthlink.net}

By Jan Barry, Staff Writer, July 16, 2003

Ringwood - How many homes with wells and septic systems can safely
sit on a rocky mountainside?

The answer usually comes from a municipal code that regulates
development of such steep slopes. But the interpretation of that land
use code has become a major focus of Planning Board hearings on
developer Jack Levkovitz's application to construct 39 houses on West
Brook Mountain.

Levkovitz is already building 28 houses on lower slopes off Burnt
Meadow Road. An adjacent tract where he wants to build more houses
rises sharply to the boundary of Norvin Green State Forest in West
Milford.

Objectors include Skylands CLEAN, the ecology group, which wants the
rugged forest tract preserved as open space.

Adding complexity to the debate, details of the single-family housing
plan have changed twice since last fall. A board approval in January
was rescinded when it was found that the wrong block and lot numbers
were advertised. And various experts have testified that the tract is
roughly 166 acres or 164 acres.

In response to questions at Monday's hearing, borough officials
acknowledged that Ringwood's steep slope regulation has a flaw.
Acceptable building lots are limited to a 20 percent grade on average.
The municipal code, however, doesn't spell out how to measure a
proposed lot's average slope in craggy terrain.

Levkovitz's experts testified that all of the proposed lots meet
Ringwood's requirements. An environmental expert testifying for
Skylands CLEAN maintained that, by using another calculation method,
nine of the lots exceed the 20 percent limit. A 20 percent grade is a
1-foot drop for every 5 feet of horizontal distance.

John Thonet, a professional planner and environmental scientist hired
by Skylands CLEAN, also testified that by his calculations at least
four proposed lots are too steep to allow driveways under Ringwood's
limit of a 12 percent grade - about one foot of drop every 8 feet.

Thonet said at a previous meeting that, based on state environmental
guidelines designed to protect water supplies, the tract could
potentially support 24 building lots at most.

Board Engineer Edward Haack testified that he used his own method to
determine that all of the proposed lots are acceptable.

That statement set off requests by objectors and board Vice Chairman
Brad Wiley for copies of the calculations done for Levkovitz.

Board Attorney H. Shepard Peck ruled that Levkovitz should provide
only the information on lots disputed by objectors.

"Is there an ordinance on slope calculations?" asked Joseph Conte, an
attorney for Skylands CLEAN.

"No," Haack said. "You have to use your judgment to decide how many
of these calculations to make." Haack explained earlier that he
measures what he considers to be representative changes in topography
within proposed lot lines.

Acknowledging that the municipal code is not clear on this point,
Peck said, "The problem is: Our ordinance does not specify a
methodology for getting the average steep slope."

When the meeting ended just before midnight, a small crowd of
objectors and several experts hired by Levkovitz were poised for
another face-off when the hearing continues July 28.

* * *

Email: ba...@northjersey.com

# # #

Robin O'Hearn, Director
Skylands CLEAN, Inc.
973-616-1006
roh...@skyclean.org

POB 85
Ringwood, NJ 07456

551 Ringwood Avenue
Wanaque, NJ 07456

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

HUNTERDON GAINS RIGHTS TO 182 ACRES OF FARMLAND

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "Steven Sacks-Wilner" {ste...@sacks-wilner.com}

3 SITES ARE PRESERVED FROM DEVELOPMENT

By Jean Mansur, Star-Ledger Staff, July 16, 2003

Hunterdon County has acquired the development rights to three farms
encompassing 182 acres in East Amwell and Raritan Township, for a
total of $1.54 million in state, county and municipal funds.

The three farms are among 110 farms and 12,800 acres in 12 townships
now permanently preserved in the county for agriculture, said Gary
Pohorely, Hunterdon County's farmland preservation program
administrator.

The farms include the 62-acre farm of Alan and Amy Furst and a 48-
acre Myrtle Hill farm, both in East Amwell, as well as the 72-acre
Lyno Maraspin horse farm in Raritan Township.

The three farms had previously been preserved by East Amwell and
Raritan Township through their own municipal funds. The townships then
applied for county and state funding and were reimbursed recently for
much of their initial costs.

"It's beneficial to the landowners," to have the farms acquired by
the municipalities first, because the towns can move more quickly than
the county and state, Pohorely said.

Under the state program, landowners are paid not to develop their
farms, which must remain in agriculture permanently. The farms are
deed-restricted, which means they can be resold only as farms.

The Maraspin farm was one of the first farms preserved in Raritan
Township and is near another 350 acres of preserved farmland along
Route 579, said Township Administrator Allan Pietrefesa. The Maraspin
farm was under development pressure at one time, he said.

"We wanted to preserve it as soon as possible because it takes years
to apply to the county and state," said Pietrefesa.

The township acquired the development rights in 1999 for $865,000,
and then applied and was accepted for the state farmland preservation
program, he said.

The closing on the Maraspin farm was July 3, with the state paying
$515,428, the county, $137,447 and the township, $206,171, Pohorely
said.

Raritan Township was reimbursed for $652,000 of its initial
preservation costs through the county and state shares, Pietrefesa
said.

The East Amwell farms are an addition to the 3,505 acres of farmland
already preserved in the township, said Mayor Andrea Bonette. "Both
farms are quite visible from Wertsville Road. They also are part of
the Amwell Valley district," she said.

Hunterdon County acquired the development rights on June 27 to the
East Amwell farms, according to Pohorely. The Furst farm was preserved
for a total of $422,163 with the state's share being $267,095, the
county's, $77,534 and township's, $77,534.

The county acquired the development rights to the Hill farm also on
June 27 for a total of $264,434: including a state share of $175,488,
county share of $44,473 and township share of $44,473, Pohorely said.

* * *

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

NJPIRG ASKS YOU TO PROTECT OUR NATIONAL FORESTS

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "Dena Mottola, NJPIRG Executive Director" {De...@njpirg.org}

Dear NJPIRG supporter,

The Bush administration has recently announced plans to gut the
widely popular Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protects 58.5
million acres of pristine national forests from most logging and road-
building, and to radically change the way our national forests are
currently managed by changing the National Forest Management Act. The
administration's proposal would exempt Alaska's Tongass Rainforest -
America's largest national forest - from the Roadless Rule and would
allow state governors to seek exemptions for forests in their states,
giving governors decision-making power over natural treasures owned by
all Americans.

The Bush administration has also proposed new regulations for the
National Forest Management Act that would radically change the way our
national forests are managed. The proposed regulations would weaken
environmental and wildlife protections and limit public involvement.
These proposed regulations are nothing more than another handout to
the timber industry that could lead to increased logging of our last
wild forests.

If we're going to stop the Bush administration from letting the
timber industry destroy our last wild forests, we need to take action.
We expect Congress to vote soon on two amendments that would protect
our national forests from the harmful proposals put forward by the
Bush administration. The Roadless Area Conservation Amendment would
protect roadless areas in our national forests from road-building and
logging and the Tom Udall amendment would stop the attack on the
National Forest Management Act.

Please take a moment to ask your U.S. Representative to stand up for
our last wild forests. Then, ask your family and friends to help by
forwarding this email to them.

To take action, click on this link or paste it into your web browser:
http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=11&id4=ES

* * *

Dena Mottola
NJPIRG Executive Director
De...@njpirg.org
http://www.NJPIRG.org

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

HACKENSACK RIVER CLEAN-UP - JUL 19

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "Hugh Carola" {hu...@hackensackriverkeeper.org}

HACKENSACK RIVERKEEPER TO SPONSOR CLEAN-UP IN JERSEY CITY

LINCOLN PARK TARGETED FOR INTENSIVE CLEANUP AND RESTORATION

Jersey City - Hackensack Riverkeeper, in its mission to protect,
preserve and restore the Hackensack River and its living resources,
announces a river cleanup planned for Lincoln Park, Jersey City on
Saturday, July 19th at 9 AM. Lincoln Park is located on the west side
of Jersey City and contains many playing fields and amenities. Closer
to the Hackensack River however, the park takes on a much more natural
appearance with wooded areas and emergent saltmarshes. The latter area
is where clean-up teams will be concentrating their efforts. The
cleanup runs from 9 AM to 12 Noon. Hackensack Riverkeeper provides all
necessary tools and equipment as well as refreshments throughout the
workday. Lunch is provided for all participants at the end of the day.

This river cleanup is the fourth Riverkeeper-sponsored cleanup since
April of this year. Four additional cleanups are scheduled for the
remainder of the season; all begin at 9 AM:

August 16 Pascack Brook County Park, Westwood, NJ

September 6 Overpeck County Park, Leonia, NJ

September 27 Snipes Park, Secaucus, NJ

October 25 Riverbank Park, Ridgefield Park, NJ

Lincoln Park is on Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City. It can be
reached from Tonnelle Avenue and JFK Boulevard from the north. For
directions, more information, or to arrange for photographs or video,
please contact Kathy Urffer at 201-968-0808.

* * *

Hugh M. Carola, Program Director
Hackensack Riverkeeper
231 Main Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
201-968-0808
201-968-0336 (FAX)
http://www.HackensackRiverkeeper.org

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

WATER WATCH EVENT - CAMDEN - AUG 2

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: bethasha {beth...@camden.rutgers.edu}

Hello!

This to let everyone know that NJ Community Water Watch is having a
big River Clean Up!

When: August 2, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Pine Pointe Park, Camden NJ, between 6th and 7th streets

Who: Camden community members, Rutgers students, local officials,
lovers of the environment!

For more info, please feel free to contact Bethany Shaw at
beth...@camden.rutgers.edu, or 856-225-6175

Thanks a lot!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION RALLY - AUG 4

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "joseph smith" {votey...@hotmail.com}

Good Afternoon,

My name is Hannah Zaritsky and I am writing to your organization on
behalf of the New Jersey Branch of the Alaska Coalition. Our
organization is one that endorses the goal of protecting the Artic
National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling and support efforts to add
its 1.5 million acre coast line to our nation's wilderness
preservation system.

Our work expands out of the boundaries of Alaska, and supports a
variety of environmental issues. We are bringing all our allies, and
all the different causes of our allies together in a rally on Trenton,
to support increased awareness about the environmental issues that are
threatening our earth every day. This event is a stop on the Roadless
Whistle Stop Tour; it will include speakers, organizations, give-
aways, and opportunities to publicize our causes. (More information
about the tour is available at http://www.ourforests.org)

The event will take place August 4th from 11 am - 2 pm outside of the
NJ state house in Trenton. We have invited over 100 different
organizations and clubs, all dedicated to preserving our environment,
and advocating for its protection.

We hope that you will be able to join us in this campaign rally, and
enjoy some of the free give-aways and inspiring speakers. Please
r.s.v.p with your attendance by sending an email to the email address
below.

Please feel free to email me any questions you may have at
votey...@hotmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from you, and I hope to see you on the 4th!

Respectfully,
Hannah Zaritsky
Alaska Coalition - NJ
Outreach Coordinator
Votey...@hotmail.com

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

SEMINAR ON NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS - JUL 31

Date: 16 Jul 2003
From: "peter salwen" {pe...@salwen.com}

NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS: A REAL-WORLD PERSPECTIVE

AN INTERACTIVE EXPERTS' ROUNDTABLE

Date: Thursday, July 31
Time: 8:30 to 11:00 AM
Location: Westminster Hotel, 550 West Mount Pleasant Ave (at Route 10
W), Livingston, NJ

$50 (includes breakfast)

New Jersey's Natural Resource Damage (NRD) enforcement program is
expected to intensify over the coming months, according to statements
from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection.

NRD laws and regulations empower regulatory agencies to require
payment or restitution-over and above the cost of fines and cleanups-
when resources such as groundwater, wetlands, and wildlife are damaged
by spills or discharges of fuels and problem chemicals. These laws
have been on the books for many years-over 30 years, in some cases-but
have not been applied aggressively or systematically. The State of New
Jersey is ahead of the curve on this issue, and New Jersey's
Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has promised to begin
pursuing NRD compensation claims very vigorously in the near future.

This interactive round-table discussion, hosted by environmental
consultants BEM Systems, Inc. (Chatham, NJ), will help affected
stakeholders understand the critical issues relative to the topic as
well as predict and plan for their potential financial and legal
liability. Titled "Natural Resource Damage Assessments: A Real-World
Perspective," the program is intended to be of value for all
stakeholders, including owners of affected properties, developers,
land preservation trust organizations, manufacturers and others, as
well as their insurers, attorneys and other interested parties.

For further information, or to obtain registration materials, please
send your name, company, and contact information to Marybeth Ryan at
BEM (908-598-2600, ext 179; njnr...@bemsys.com) or see
http://www.bemsys.com for further details.

* * *

Serena Siegfried, Senior Associate
Salwen Business Communications
114 West 86th Street
New York, NY 10024
212-873-1944; cell 917-620-5371
http://www.salwen.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tina Bologna - Editor - bol...@gsenet.org

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Back issues of the Garden State EnviroNews are available at
http://www.gsenet.org/library/11gsn/11gsn.php

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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